ICC confirms Twenty20 World Cup

The ICC has made Twenty20 cricket an official part of the international calendar from 2007, with a World Cup set down for 2009.

The Asian cricketing nations were sceptical about introducing Twenty20 cricket, at the risk of it hurting ODI and Test cricket in the region, but with India, Pakistan, Sri Lankan and Bangladesh keen to host the World Cup in 2011, a compromise was able to be reached with the ICC.

The likely host for the Twenty20 Cup in 2009 is England, with Asia and Australasian fighting it out for the 2011 and 2015 ODI World Cup hosting rights.

Malcolm Speed, the ICC Chief Executive, has also announced that a new six year Future Tours Programme has been approved, which will allow for more major Test series between the big Test nations such as Australia, India and England.

It will also allow for more matches to be played between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in an attempt to allow for better competition.